Need info on how the S&W Model 360 PD shoots

I have an issue Glock 27 that I've carried on and off duty (most the time) the last couple of years. Over the last year, I've found myself carrying my Beretta Tomcat (32 ACP) more and more. I know the 32 is not enough, but the weight of the 27 has gotten too much. I like the idea of a 12oz pistol that will shoot the 357/38+P. Doubt I will shoot the 357 in it more than once or twice. There are a plethora of ammo today that just wasn't around years ago and I think the 38+P is workable. I need some information on how the 360PD shoots. I will have to qualify with it every 6 months. We shoot a 50 round course with 18 rounds being fired at 25 yards so I need it to be able to hit the mark at that distance. Any info would be appreciated.

Last edited by BWT; 05-18-2010 at 05:54 PM.
Reason: Finished the title

I don’t have a 360, but I have a 340. It is a nice gun; very accurate, but the point of impact was far enough off that I sent it to a guy to have a dovetailed front sight installed. Now it is sighted in and shoots nicely, but loads of significant power are pretty exciting. .38 +P power loads would be as far as I would be willing to go in carry loads.

I consider the scandium guns to be “carry much, shoot little” guns. I have a stainless 640 that I also had to have a dovetailed front sight put in, as my practice gun. Ten ounces makes a tremendous difference in shootability.

I've been looking at the 340 as well. Might even be a better choice as double action would always be the mode. I'm wide open for any thoughts and suggestions. I know I would prefer less than 16oz. Thats very interesting about out of the box accuracy.

i was also looking at the 357 snubbies as a CC gun. i recently was told the "terminal balistics" of a 357 in snubbies was a detractant for most people. i asked for a brief expaination and was told: with the short barrell, the 357 round is still burning powder as the bullet exits the gun, resulting in more flash and bang, and lessening the velocity of the round. this is why people are using the 38 and 38+p in a 357.

it makes sense, and logical, but was he correct? can someone point me to a Basistics report that can confirm this?

THIS article from Stephen Camp covers some of the .38 vs .357 questions.

As for the 360PD, I have one and with full power loads it's a handful, even when I had larger Hogues on it. With the original boot grips or the current Pach's I wouldn't want to shoot it with the .357 loads. I know the .357 will knock people into the next time zone and cook steaks with the muzzle flash etc, but the overall recoil characteristics of the gun are a turn off. The only reason I bought mine is that my wife wanted a scandium .357 J-Frame and I found the 360PD at quite a price after it had some work done on it by Cylinder and Slide. If you don't plan on shooting the magnums. If It were to be "my" gun it would have been a 442 as IMHO the cost difference between an aluminum frame and the scandium frame isn't worth it compared to what weight you're saving.

BWT, regarding your qual with the gun, is this a Dept issue or just some gay state requirement relating to your CCW? If it's a Dept mandated qual, before you opt for the 360, double check and make sure that they will allow you to shoot .38 ammo in it for qual...hey more stupid things have been required...

As for shooting the gun, as long as you're not too tightly timed and you shoot single action you should be able to hit what you're aiming at provided you practice with the gun a lot and learn it's intricacies.

I'm assuming that you're firing on some sort of silhouette target at 25 yards, correct?

The 25 yards is a department qualification requirement. Yes on the silhouette. It's timed at 72 seconds. I like the price on the 442 at just about half the cost of the 360. Our CCW law here is good, I just think they charge too much to get your original license. My mother-in-law passed the course on the first try (up to that point had never fired a pistol). Back to my dept., I can shoot the qualification course with 38 ammo, I just have to shoot 5 additional rounds in 357 if I want to carry that round (which now I'm confident I don't).